Nespresso Inissia 24oz Espresso and Lungo Bundle

I'm a giant coffee snob. I am sad to say that previously in my life I actually thought that Starbucks was "premium" coffee. In my defense, there was a Starbucks in the building I lived in, a Starbucks connected to my job, and a Starbucks inside of my school, so I was kind of surrounded by Starbucks. However, when you go to an actual good coffee shop (usually local) or start making your espresso or coffee you realize how much money you wasted over the years at Starbucks! I am really picky though. I bought the Starbucks Verismo a few years ago when it was half off at my nearby Starbucks, and I have to say I was unimpressed. If I can't get my coffee EXACTLY HOW I WANT IT, I won't make it at home. I had already moved on from Starbucks and was going to really good coffee shops, but I still could not imitate the lattes I was drinking there at home, so I gave up for awhile. Fast forward to last year when I decided to give it another shot. I found this online with the milk frother and the great reviews and purchased it. I am now able to make high quality lattes from home at a MUCH cheaper price. However, it has been a rocky road to get there. There are a few key things to note when trying to duplicate your favorite latte from a coffee shop. #1 - Frother - I did not have a frother for my last machine and have to say it makes a huge difference. For a genuine latte you really need to froth the milk. #2 - Type of Milk - If you want to duplicate the taste of your favorite latte, find out what milk they are using. If you don't specify a milk at a coffee shop they almost always give you whole. It undoubtedly tastes the best (and is the worst for you). If you are buying 2% and wondering why it doesn't taste the same, then that's probably why. Try to ask them what brand they use...you'd be surprised at how many just buy whole milk down the street from the grocery store. However, once I realized how fattening my drinks were I started buying my own unsweetened almond milk. I think it's a great alternative and with sweeteners in it it tastes delicious! Just experiment. #3 - Types of Syrups - I cannot stress the importance of the syrups that you buy. I figured since I was really in love with mocha and hazelnut lattes that I would just go to the store and get some mocha syrup and hazelnut syrup and it would taste great, right? WRONG! Now, for some people Torani will be fine...but if you are trying to duplicate your local coffee shop, chances are they do not use Torani (Starbucks makes their own syrups FYI, if you want to duplicate them). My local coffee shop uses Monin....when I tried Torani and my latte was disgusting, I ordered syrups from Monin and it made a gigantic difference. They are a little pricey but there is a reason for it. I love their fudge syrup for mochas, and I love to mix that with their Amaretto and Tiramisu. A little goes a long way too. Check out what syrups your local coffee shop is using. Make sure you are using the right pods. It's kind of confusing with the sampler pack...some of them are decaffeinated, some are coffee pods, so pay attention to what you are using. Amazon has a great deal on Nespresso espresso pods which I always use to stock up! Overall, I am so happy with my espresso machine and use it daily...and practice makes perfect - you can make your own perfect latte at home!